Resurrection

In Indian Mythology, the world was a better place when “Ram Rajya” or the Kingdom of Lord Rama flourished across the sub continent. And till today, politicians across Rural India promise it in their election speeches. But far from the dusty by lanes of what was once Ayodhya, lie a kingdom ruled by a dynasty who call themselves Rama and whose destroyed capital was once called Ayuthhya.

It is a tragedy that people associate Thailand with its pristine beaches and shopping in Bangkok. But Thailand’s history is worth noting. The kingdom has been defeated time and again but never destroyed, not always by valour but often through diplomacy. And nowhere is its history more alive than in Ayuthhya.

Destroyed by the Burmese Army, the once proud capital now stands in ruins. Rows after rows of headless Bodhisatwas sit in their lotus seats carrying the teachings of The Buddha within their heart. Tourists roam around the destroyed temples while elephants wait to give you a ride. This was the kingdom where once the king gifted white elephants to competing kings in order to drain their exchequer.

The summer palaces and other palaces of the kingdom are strangely bereft of grandeur. But one look at the temples across Thailand and we realize how the royalty in Thailand emphasized the importance of their places of worship. If you visit Thailand, stopover at Wat Pho and Wat Arun and you’ll realize how religion is integrated into the fabric of Thailand. The paintings on the walls of the Grand Palace talk of Ramakian, the Thai version of Ramayana. While the earlier versions during the Ayuthhya reign are lost, what remains is an epic with a happy ending, composed around 1700s with Royal patronage.

The Buddha is everywhere, but so is the King and deities remnant of the country’s long association with Indian spirituality. The Erawan Shrine in the heart of Bangkok everyday sings hymns to the praises of Brahma, the airport has one of the best depiction of the ‘churning of the ocean’ that I have seen.

But if nothing else, Bangkok is true as a destination for street shoppers. Every walkway is full of bargains and more bargains and the true Indian street shopper would feel perfectly at home. The shopkeepers love this Indian clientele and like the most industrious traders welcome you with a sprinkling of Hindi.

One of my favourite places to visit in the world, Bangkok is also my most visited and I never get tired of it. How could I? The country invented the Green Curry and the Phad Thai.

Stop Over 2 – Bangkok – Part II

It must really be unfair if I talk about a city without talking about how lively its night markets are, how innovation spills out from the imagination of its street vendors, how the food that get served on the streets attacks all your senses at once.

KSS typically puts us up in decent hotels, allowing us easy access to the city centre and for Bangkok, it must be Sukhumvit. From the Sukhumvit Station, down to Chitlom and onwards to the National Stadium, the streets are as close to heaven as it can get for a shopaholic. From the glittering malls of Paragon, Siam Discovery, Central World, to the Indian favourite MBK, all that you can ask for, is under a few roofs.

I remember when I was still in Pilani, Tantra T shirts were a rage. And then like all industrious Indians, the shops in Palika BAzar started hoarding up on T shirts that proudly proclaimed – “Beer Belly” or “My Dad is an ATM”. However, they were still very expensive for a college kid who had spent up all his money buying T shirts from every department in his college.

As I walked around Erawan, I realized that same kid had grown up just a bit. His T shirt collection had changed to a much sober, much branded and completely collared version of his former self. He had the means now, but not the heart to wear T shirts which said, “King Size” with an arrow pointing downward!

And I sighed and walked on.

But surprisingly, a few shops down the line I was thrilled to wear a strange shop, selling a Brand of T shirts called “No problem”. Somehow, it resonated instantly. You see, my teeny tiny ego always refuses to accept that there might be a problem. So for me it has always been “No problem.” But the catch lay elsewhere. This shop was made for well nourished people. The Large T shirts that they had were the ones that typically would go for a XXL in other countries and brands. What followed is easily imaginable.

The street food in Bangkok is something to look forward to. Where else will you have bananas in a stick, fried over the fire and then beaten down to release the aroma to lure the passer by? And it does not end in just that. Take a walk in the wet markets of the city and you will find exotic fruits and vegetables you probably would never had thought of, if you were from the Western World. The vegetarian in you will shudder to see the variety of meat on display and the Bengali in you might just want to kiss the vendor, not only because she’s super cute, but also because she has the most amazing variety of fresh Fish.

Madam Tussad’s is something perhaps best seen in London, but if you have never been to Europe, you might just head there like I did and click a photograph with Mr. Gandhi who you meet as soon as you would have bowed to the King and Queen and yeah, perhaps sit at the Oval Office with The First Family in Washington looking at you.

Strangely the roads in Bangkok are broad but the traffic is worse than Mumbai, so it’s always a great idea to take the trains or walk. You will come across the huge statue of Rama I and the beautiful Lumphini Park. It’s a peaceful area and you will find the Thais coming there after a hard day’s work or to jog in the mornings. And in the evenings if you have some spare time, you might want to head to the Erawan Shrine (named after the celestial elephant) where the Four Headed Buddha (Actually the Hindu Deity Brahma) watches silently as devotees pour in. The faces are the “Face of Peace and Health, Face of Good Fortune, Face of Good Relationships and Face of Protection against Evil.” It’s also the place where probably you will find the traditional dancers helping you to make a connection to the World beyond, helping you get your prayers be heard. It apparently is sort of a customized prayer service that you can request for. Bangkok is also the place where I have seen devotees place bottles of Fanta as offerings along with traditional coconuts. Maybe because a lot of shrines were traditionally spirit houses which protect the land and its inhabitants.

Music fills you as you walk the streets of Bangkok and you realize that there is so much to see and so little time that you will yearn to be back... soon.

Stop Over 2 – Bangkok – Part I

There is a place in this world, unknown to most, where the King and the Queen still reign supreme. And the people love them and adore them and celebrate the monarchy. It’s not the mountains of Bhutan or the Sultanates of the Middle East or the loyal subjects of her Majesty the Queen. But in the farthest corners of the Eastern World, there is a country which has never been colonized by any western power or Japan. In the days gone by, the maps of the East India Company used to call the land – Siam.

Having never faced the humiliation of a foreign rule, the Thais are a proud nation and yet the most respectful amongst all the races I have come across in my life till date. While Japanese demonstrations of respect are well documented by Hollywood, the Thais can match up to the best of them.

At times, I feel ashamed as an Indian, who considering himself a global citizen, always extends his hand out for a firm handshake. And yet, I feel a strange sense of joy when complete strangers in a corporate setting or outside, fold their hands together, bow and greet the traditional Thai way – Sawasdeeka.

Namaskar might be dying in India, except perhaps during weddings and family gatherings, but in a country far far away, it lives on. I love the concept of Namaskar as to me it embodies the very best of the Hindu way of life. It tells the person you are greeting, “I accept that there resides a God within you, and I bow to that Supreme Power.”

Coming back to Bangkok and the Thais, I sense an inner struggle so very common to India and many other nations which are grappling with a changing world view. The best example of this confusion is perhaps the Suvarnabhumi Airport. It is a beautiful airport, one of the better ones that have been built in recent years across the world. As soon as you enter, you will come across relics of the Budhha and huge statues straight out of the pages of mythology. And once you are done with immigration, while travelling out of the country, you will be greeted with one of the most amazing scenes from Hindu Mythology – the churning of the Oceans. And you will feel excited that this airport perhaps has something unique to offer, something that you can take back and treasure. Yet, in an effort to entice the global travellers, the airport loses itself in the standardization that is slowly becoming a curse in this world.

You might be wondering why a post on travelling to a new city is about an airport. I have realized over the last 2 years, my priorities in travel have changed. From the wanderlust backpacker, as I grow old in my job as a marketer and start having my first grey hairs, I have become a student of human emotions. I like nothing better than to understand a country from her people, from what they think, do, love, like, hate and eat. And that’s why I spend weekends in consumes’ homes learning about them, observing them and finally falling in love with my job all over again.

The city is surviving better than the airport. The Orange robes of the monks are often noticed, so are the evening chants from a temple in a busy street corner. Bangkok may be a modern city but it seems to have not forgotten itself in the process.

The Thais are of course the best cooks in South East Asia, in my humble opinion, but perhaps I am a bit biased being an Indian after all. The Thai cooking is full of herbs and flavours and the fight over whose mom makes the best Tom Yam Soup is still a bone of contention amongst friends. If there’s a recipe that can create a symphony in your palette, it must be Tom Yam.

You must have made multiple versions of “authentic” Thai green curry, but to me having a green curry at a roadside restaurant in Thailand is almost the same as seeing The Taj with my own eyes, rather than on the internet. But there are 2 dishes I have fallen in love with – first the Thai Omelette. Extremely unhealthy and supremely delicious, it can give Egg Bhurji, the Indian favourite, a run for its money. The second is the burnt coconut. Apparently, the Thais burn the coconut while it’s still in its shell and then peel the outer coating out. This gives the water a strange but brilliant flavour and while I have drunk almost litres of it, I am yet to put a finger to it – Barbequed Coconut Water is what I call it for lack of a better expression.

Till I figure it out, happy imagining the burnt coconut water, chilled in the freezer of Master Chef of KSS Thailand, Penrung, slowly moving down your throat to the ultimate goal it was destined for – your stomach.